Across the area

Tuesday

Aug 28, 2007 at 6:00 AM

Couple arrested for making methamphetamine

A North Augusta couple was arrested Monday afternoon in connection with manufacturing methamphetamine.

Michael Stewart, 55 and Carole Starr, 60, both of Apache Drive, were arrested after authorities seized chemicals and related items used to manufacture methamphetamine from a storage unit and a mobile home, according a statement from the Aiken County Sheriff's Office.

The two are charged with two counts of manufacturing methamphetamine.

Investigators acted on a tip and served a search warrant at Best Self Storage on Borden Road in North Augusta, a news release said.

Police found chemicals and other drug-making ingredients inside a storage unit.

Mr. Stewart and Ms. Starr were being held at the Aiken County Detention Center late Monday, police said.

Forum to aid teen drivers

A safe-driving forum for parents and teens will be held Wednesday in North Augusta.

The forum, held at the North Augusta Community Center at 495 Brookside Ave., offers parents and teens a chance to meet with law enforcement officers and health professionals.

Separate activities will be held for parents and teens, and a hot-dog dinner will be served.

Also included as part of the forum is an obstacle course teens can traverse in golf carts while wearing DUI goggles. The goggles simulate driving with impaired senses.

The event is sponsored by the South Carolina Highway Patrol, Joy Batchelor, the North Augusta Department of Public Safety and the Tri-Development Center.

Augusta Commissioner Andy Cheek will hold a town hall meeting at 7 p.m. today at Bernie Ward Community Center, 1941 Lumpkin Road, to discuss and seek opinions on a proposal to boost tourism in Augusta by creating a fourth level of the Augusta Canal along Ellis Street.

Other topics to be discussed include further cleanup and improvement activities along the canal's Third Level. The public is welcome.

Hearing is today on soldier rehabilitation

U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson will play host to a Senate field hearing today in Augusta on active duty soldier rehabilitation in collaboration with VA hospitals.

The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee will convene a field hearing at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Uptown Division of the Augusta Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers, 1 Freedom Way. The hearing will be held in the third-floor auditorium.

The Augusta VA and Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center jointly operate a rehab unit for active-duty soldiers within the Uptown VA.

Many of those soldiers were injured in Afghanistan or Iraq. Some Augusta leaders are pushing to expand this operation.

Among those scheduled to testify at the hearing is Maj. Gen. Eric B. Schoomaker, the commanding general of the North Atlantic Regional Medical Command and Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He had previously served as commanding general at Eisenhower.

Rock blasting is start of new school

Rock blasting was conducted Monday afternoon at a new school construction site on Chamblin Road in Columbia County.

The blasting had been planned for last Friday, but was delayed until Monday.

Emergency officials notified those in the area via an emergency telephone notification system, advising them not to be alarmed by the noise.

Company offers free laptops to pupils

Achieve HighPoints is offering a free software tutoring program and free laptop computer to any eligible pupil in Richmond County.

The company will donate the computer and software to any Richmond County pupil who qualifies for free or reduced lunch or other income-based guidelines.

After completing the online tutoring program, the pupil is allowed to own the computer as a reward.

Achieve HighPoints is a supplemental education program, authorized by the Georgia Department of Education. The deadline to enroll is Sept. 7.

To inquire about eligibility and begin the enrollment process, contact the Richmond County Board of Education Title 1 office at 706-826-1000.

Police seek pair in two armed robberies

Police are looking for a man and woman who committed two armed robberies early Monday morning.

The first happened at 12:35 a.m. at the Lucky Land Store and Citgo gas station at 4706 Deans Bridge Road in Blythe, according to a Richmond County sheriff's report.

A victim told police that the robbers were armed with handguns and wearing masks over their faces when they entered the store. They demanded money from the register but when the clerk couldn't open it, the suspects robbed $8 from a customer.

About 30 minutes later, a man and woman wearing masks entered the TPS store at 3671 Peach Orchard Road, brandished handguns and stole an undetermined amount of cash from the register, a sheriff's report said.

Sex offender wanted for not registering

Investigators in Richmond County are looking for a man who has failed to register as a convicted sex offender.

George Louis Wright, 31, whose last known address was 1365 Gordon Highway, is wanted by authorities, according to a Richmond County sheriff's office release.

Anyone with information can call the sheriff's office at (706) 821-1080. All tips will be handled confidentially, the release said.

Cox seeks students for advisory council

Georgia Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox is accepting applications for her 2007-08 Student Advisory Council. The members of the council meet with the superintendent four times during the school year to discuss how decisions made at the state level are affecting students throughout Georgia.

Members are advisers and act as liaisons between the Department of Education and the students of Georgia.

All students in grades 9-12 are eligible to apply. Applications must be received by Sept. 7.

Anti-war rally will be outside church today

An anti-war rally is planned today at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Augusta at 3501 Walton Way Extension.

An outside rally will begin at 6 p.m., and an inside program, Take A Stand, will run from 7 to 8 p.m., according to a news release.

The event is part of a nationwide drive to convince members of Congress to demand an end to the Iraq war.

Among the organizers are the church's Social Justice Committee, MoveOn.org, Veterans for Peace, Americans Against Escalation in Iraq, the Georgia Rural Urban Summit, USAction and Women's Action for New Directions.

- From staff reports

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